Entry route
Check whether you enter visa-free, with a visa, or through a transit route. This affects flight choice and city order.
Visa and entry rulesStart here
Four decisions before booking anything
Payment stack
Prepare Alipay or WeChat Pay, a backup card and a small cash plan before arrival pressure starts.
Payment guideFirst city
Choose a soft landing city with airport access, metro coverage, hotel density and easy food options.
Choosing your first cityTransport mode
Use high-speed rail for dense corridors and flights only when distances or geography justify the airport overhead.
Train vs flight decisionRoutes
Choose a practical China route
Classic first trip
Beijing - Xi'an - Shanghai
History first, rail middle, international departure at the end.
Easy rail loop
Shanghai - Suzhou - Hangzhou
Low-friction first China loop with short rides and strong hotel choice.
Business south
Guangzhou - Shenzhen - Hong Kong
Best for trade shows, factories, cross-border planning and fast metro systems.
Food and mountains
Chengdu - Chongqing - Xi'an
A slower, richer route for food, river cities and inland rail connections.
Nature south
Kunming - Guilin - Guangzhou
Good when scenery matters more than a pure city-and-museum itinerary.
Winter route
Harbin - Beijing - Shanghai
Use winter as the hook, then recover with easier national transport hubs.
Before departure
A simple preparation timeline
Entry and route
Confirm visa or visa-free eligibility, passport validity, first city and departure city.
Phone and payments
Install map, translation and payment apps. Set up one primary payment method and one backup.
Hotel and rail
Save hotel address in Chinese, check train station names and decide airport transfer method.
Reduce pressure
Do not over-plan. Get connected, reach the hotel, test payment and eat nearby.
Tools